Unofficial phone traders sit-in at Karwan Bazar over NEIR reforms

Hundreds of "unofficial" mobile phone traders staged a human chain protest along the roadside at Karwan Bazar roundabout in the capital on Sunday (30 November) demanding changes to the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system. From early morning, thousands of traders and employees gathered to press for a policy that benefits all stakeholders.

Trader Abdul Khalek told The Daily Campus: "We have been doing this business for years. If the government suddenly shuts it down, where will we go? We have come to the streets to voice our demands. We want the government to sit with us and formulate a fair policy that saves both businesses and the state."

Smartphone and gadget traders have announced a nationwide shutdown of shops in support of the same demands. Most outlets across the country remained closed today, as declared by Mobile Business Community Bangladesh (MBCB).

In a Saturday statement, the organisation demanded an end to "monopolistic syndicate policies", fair tax structures and open import facilities for mobile phones. MBCB will hold a peaceful human chain at Karwan Bazar-Panthapath area on Sunday.

MBCB International Affairs Secretary Md Aniser Rahman Sohail told The Daily Campus: "We have been in this business for years. We have invested crores of taka here. Over 25,000 traders sell mobiles across the country."

He added: "Millions of people, including our employees and their families, depend on this sector. If the government abruptly closes it, where do we go and what do we do?"

Sohail said: "This business links many sectors. We have traders, employees. When we run digital promotions, we involve photographers, videographers, graphic designers and digital marketers. If the business shuts down, everyone suffers."